The 1954 French flap:

CAUDRY

This time, "the thing from another world"
had the elongated shape of a spinning top

Matching statements from three workers who saw it
while they were going to their work
in the first hours of the morning

We have no intention of making our readers "take bladders for lanterns." We just report facts which were told to us in all simplicity by eyewitnesses from whom we had to tear the words out of their mouths, so little did they seem concerned that their names be publicized.

"Ah, above all, please, they told us in turn, do not talk about us in the press: we do not want the village take us for crazy people or jokers."

Nevertheless, by use of patience, this great virtue of journalists, we obtained details which can be summarized as follows:

Mr. François R. (who fiercely refused to have his name published), aged 40, living in Saint-Hilaire, but working in Caudry, told us: "It was around 6:50 a.m. I was riding a motorbike on the Quiévy road to go to my work in Caudry. I had just passed my comrades Emile, from St-Hilaire, and, before him, his team-mate, Victor, from Quiévy, who, they, were on bicycles. Shortly before arriving at the little chapel and the Drond farm, I felt a little rain wet my face. I then looked up to check the sky and see wether it was necessary to put on my raincoat. It was then that I saw in the sky "something" in the shape of one of those musical tops that we give as toys to children. This "something", of a very bright coral pink, could have been about two meters in length and trailed in its wake a white light all fringed and dazzlingly clear, as large as a clock face, which I could quite well compare to the glow produced by an oxygen welding torch or to that caused by the touching of two coals in a movie projector. Above all, don't tell me that I saw a flying saucer. I'm just telling you what I saw and nothing more."

Answering our questions, he specified that the "something" followed approximately National Road 30 from west to east, that is to say towards Le Cateau. A rough sketch drawn by him on a piece of plywood allowed us to deduce that the thing that appeared to him in the sky had an oblong shape of section and elliptical, the largest axis of which could have, to the eye, about 2 meters.

Mr. Victor Lebon, 48, mason worker, currently working on a construction site in rue Négrier, provided us with identical information. According to him the "phenomenon" was a very very bright garnet red. He also claims that it trailed a light similar to a car headlight in its wake, but much more powerful. I am not afraid, he said to give my name: I am telling you what I saw and do not want to force anyone to believe me. It would be astonishing, moreover, that others than us had not seen it, because it stood out before the eyes."

His team-mate Emile, a young man from Saint-Hilaire, gives us indications that confirm the statements of the first two. He also opts for the very bright garnet red. This can also be explained by the fact that being less advanced on the road compared to the first one, they saw the "thing" from another angle.

"I was preceding my teammate by about five minutes," Emile (who categorically refused to give his name for fear of being the laughing stock in his village) told us. Suddenly I saw in the sky something very bright. It had shape and color but much brighter and much bigger, of the sun at sunset, when it has already disappeared almost two-thirds of the way from the horizon. I first believed it was the sun! Then I said to myself that it was impossible because of its position and all the more so as this shape was advancing in the sky at a fairly good pace. In the morning, I found myself with François and Victor. I asked "casually" the question, because I was afraid I had been the victim of an illusion: "Didn't you notice something on the road on your way this morning?" "Yes," replied the first François. I did not say anything as I feared I would be taken for a fool." Little by little we explained to each other what we had witnessed. It is not possible that others than us did not see it, because, at this hour, there are many workers of this direction going to their work."

Here is in summary the result of our small investigation. We spoke to simple people who feared that they would be laughed at and told us in their plain language what they saw. Their only fear is that they will not be taken seriously and there is a good chance that they would have reamined silent, if chance and the curiosity to know if they had not been fooled by their senses, had not unstitched their lips.

[Photo caption:] M. Victor LEBON, from Quiévy
(Photo "La Voix du Nord")

Ballet of "saucers"
in the sky of the Ardèche

M. Joseph Habrat, a farmer in the Perrets district, in Lamps [sic], not far from Tournon (Ardèche), observed, in the sky, last night, a veritable ballet of "flying saucers".

He had first noticed a green light moving slowly, towards Valence. Then the luminous craft began to move at full speed in various directions and finally came to a stop.

The farmer then called his daughter Yvette who until now "had refused to believe in flying saucers".

Like her father, Yvette was able to observe the luminous craft, which advanced, it seemed, up to about 500 meters from them. A little later, a dozen craft came to join the first and sketched with it quite a ballet, before disappearing in the direction of the East.

Shortly after, three craft appeared again, then disappeared in the same direction as the previous ones.

12 little satellite cigars

Also, two people declared to have seen a luminous craft, in the sky, in Rixheim. Using binoculars, they found that it had the shape of a long cigar, a dozen small satellites surrounded it. A night shift railway worker said he observed the same phenomenon.

A saucer in Caudry

Friday morning, around 6:45 a.m., three workers, including two masons and a carpenter, were on their way to Caudry, on their way to their work place, when they saw a original machine, oval in shape, pale pink in color, very bright, leaving behind an absolutely dazzling trail.

This "flying saucer" seemed to fly over national road 29 and was heading towards Le Cateau.

One of these workers, Mr. Victor Lebon, 43, mason, living in Quiévy, is affirmative in his statements. The other two, one of whom is domiciled in Saint-Hilaire-lez-Cambrai, preferred to remain anonymous, but concurred.

Surrounded by vertical rods

It should also be noted that two residents of the commune of Foussignargues, near Bessègues, declared that they had seen, in a meadow, near their house, in the night from Sunday to Monday, a bright red luminous craft, surrounded by vertical rods.

Many people also saw, in Pau, in the sky at very high altitude, a mysterious craft in the shape of a long and shiny balloon. The object came from the South and was heading towards the North West.

Finally, Mr. Raymond Deloire, 20, agricultural worker in Langeron (Nièvre), who was riding a bicycle, on the road to Saint-Pierre-le-Moutiers, saw in the sky a mysterious object of semi-spherical shape emitting, at the front, a bright orange glow, flames gushed from the rear. The craft moved without noise, with great speed, in direction of the North-East.

Yesterday, around 06:45, on the road from Quiévy to Caudry, Mr. François R., 40 year-old, of St Hilaire, drove his Mobylette and had just exceeded two of his companions, when, arrived a little before the small vault and the "Dron" farm, he felt the rain wetting his face to him, looked up, and saw in the sky a kind of "spinning top," coral pink, very luminous, appearing to him to have 2 meters and trailing a white light dazzling like a blowtorch or an electric arc and large like a dial of clock. The object roughly followed the RN 39 [National Road] from West to East, towards Cateau. A drawing made by this witness shows an oblong object of elliptic section.

Mr. Victor Lebon de Quiévy, 48 year-old, mason, gives an identical description. The object he saw was red garnet, very sharp, followed by a light like a headlight of car but much more powerful. His colleague Emile, who, preceded him on bicycle by 5 minutes, describes the object as having the shape and the luminosity of the sun hidden to the 2/3rd, with a garnet-red red color. He initially thought it was the sun, before realizing that it was impossible considering the direction and speed.

A flying saucer
lands near Melun

Its three crutches leave 10 cm deep marks in the ground

Melun, 2. -- Several road workers from Ponts-et-Chaussées who were working in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, said they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m. 50 high. It was said to have been posed on the ground on three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a metal shiny like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters away, he was tingled as if an invisible electric ray was darted on him.

"I felt," he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise slowly, noiselessly, like a dead leaf", until 25 meters from the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any light trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were found on the ground.

***

Quillant, 2. -- Yesterday afternoon Mr. Saboureau, lemonade maker in Belesta (Ariège) saw a brilliant ball in the sky.

The object, which was moving relatively slowly and silently, was followed, he said, by a trail of gray smoke.

***

Monceau-les-Mines, 2. -- Two mason workers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Union Vélocipédique de Roanne, said they saw a craft taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound. The craft was, they said, in the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 80 centimeters in diameter.

***

THE TESTIMONY OF THE COMMANDER IN SECOND OF A CARGO SHIP

Brest, 2. -- M. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a freighter ship which stopped at Brest, stated that during the night of September 23-24, when the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, by 44 degrees 48 north and 4 degrees 50, he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors who were by his side also made the same observation. Through binoculars they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, at 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object of red color grazing the surface of the water and then quickly ascending vertically and disappearing, leaving a red flame.

***

Caudry, 2. -- Three workers from St-Hilaire-les-Cambrai said they saw yesterday morning at 6 a.m. a strange luminous craft which trailed behind it a white gleam comparable to that of a blowtorch.

The daily chronicle
of the "saucers"

Melun, October 2. -- Several road menders from the Ponts-et-Chaussées who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy - Voisins airfield, said they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, claimed to have seen in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a groupe of poplar tree, a strange craft of oval shape, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and a height of 2.50 m. It was, he said, posed on the ground with three rather high crutches. Its upper part had a small transparent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters of it, he was tingled as if an invisible electric beam was aimed at him.

"I felt," he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly silently, like a "dead leaf", until 25 meters above the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any luminous trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters deep were found on the ground.

XXX

Quillant, October 2. -- Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Saboureau, lemonade maker in Bélesta (Arière), saw a brilliant ball in the sky.

The object, which moved relatively slowly and silently, was followed, he said, by a trail of gray smoke.

XXX

Montceau-les-Mines, Oct. 2 -- Two mason workers, Mssrs. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Union Vélocipédiste de Roanne, said they saw a craft taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound. The craft was, they said, shaped like a very dark yellow cigar, three meters long and about 60 to 50 centimeters in diameter.

XXX

Brest, October 2. -- Mr. Arsène Stephan, deputy commander of a freighter calling in at Brest, said that during the night of September 23 to 24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44 degrees 48 North and 4 degrees 50 he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors who were at his side were the same observation. Using binoculars, they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at nightfall, a sailor who was at the helm of the Tanker "Port-Lyautey", saw, less than 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object, red in color, touching the surface of the water, then quickly ascending vertically and disappearing, leaving a red flame.

XXX

Caudry, October 2. -- Three workers from St-Hilaire-les-Cambrai said they saw this morning, at 6 a.m., a strange luminous craft which trailed after it a white glow comparable to that of a blowtorch.

NEAR MEAUX...

ROAD MENDER
saw a "saucer"
posed on crutches

If, in Saint-Hilaire-les-Cambrai, three workers claim to have seen, around 6 a.m. yesterday, in the sky, a strange luminous craft which trailed a white light, the "star testimony" of the day is that of roadmenders of the Seine-et-Marne.

They were half a dozen to work, in the rain, along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the airfield of Quincy-Voisins, when they saw a "flying saucer."

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval craft, measuring about 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m. 50 high. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived about 150 meters away, he was tingled as if an invisible electric beam was aimed at him.

"I was feeling, he said, paralyzed, and my eyesight was blurring slightly. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a "dead leaf", up to 25 meters above the ground. It stopped for a moment and then, still without noise and without any luminous trail, disappeared at high speed."

There were traces of about ten centimeters depth on the ground.

It will be noted that the traces discovered in Quarouble, on the wooden sleepers of the railway track also seemed to have been made by crutches.

SAUCERS ABOVE
THE ATLANTIC

For his part, Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a freighter which called at Brest, stated that during the night of September 23-24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44 degrees 48 north and 4 degrees 50, he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of his sailors, who were at his side, also made the same observation. Using binoculars, they noticed that it was a moving disc on which green reflections appeared at times.

In addition, last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, less than 500 meters from him, a saucer-shaped object of red color grazing the surface of the water, then quickly ascend vertically and disappear, leaving a red flame.

Like in Quarouble

A saucer on crutches
(with "paralyzing ray")
wandering near Melun

One who must be happy is Mr. Marius Dewilde from Quarouble, near Valenciennes. We had smiled - a little too much in his taste - of his story of flying saucers and Martians of 0.95 meters. And now his story has just been renewed - close to Melun this time.

Road workers from the Ponts-et-Chaussées say they witnessed it. As on the sleepers on Marius Dewilde's railway, "crutches traces" were found.

Several road workers who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisin airfield, said they saw a flying saucer on Friday October 1.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw a strange device in a field, on the left side of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush measuring approximately 3 meters in diameter, and 2 m high. 50. It was placed on the ground using three fairly high crutches. Its upper part had a small translucent dome that appeared to be made of plastic. The whole thing was made of a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the craft, but that when he arrived at about 150 meters, he was panicked as if an invisible electric ray was darted on him.

"I felt paralyzed, and my eyesight blurred slightly. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, silently, like a dead leaf, up to 15 meters from the ground. It immobilized for a moment then, still without noise and without any light trail, disappeared at high speed."

Traces of about 10 centimeters were found on the ground.

But it's not just Melun...

In the single day of Friday, following the dazzling "spinning top" seen Thursday in the Cambrésis by a carpenter from Saint-Hilaire and a mason from Quiévy, the most diverse craft haunted our sky - a "cigar" near Montceau-les-Mines, a greenish "disc" near Brest, a brilliant "ball" in the Ariège...

Who doesn't have his saucer yet?

Flying saucers (continued)

"A roadmender sees a strange apparatus posed on the ground, with assistance of crutches! But when he approached of the craft, he is paralyzed by an invisible ray."

Melun, October 2.

Several roadmenders of the Bridges and Road who worked under the rain at the edge of the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisin airfield, stated they saw a flying saucer.

One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30 year-old, claimed to have seen in a field, on the left of the road, at approximately 200 meters of him, at the foot of a group of poplars, a strange apparatus of oval form, measuring approximately three meters in diameter and of a height of 2,50m. "It was, he said, posed on the ground with the assistance of three rather high crutches. Its higher part comprised a small translucent cupola that seemed made of plastic. The whole of the craft was of a metal shining like aluminum."

Mr. Goujon told that he had wanted to approach the craft but when he arrived at approximately 150 meters, he felt tickling as if "an invisible electric ray" were aimed at him.

"I felt, he said, paralyzed, and my sight was slightly scrambled. I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, without noise, in the manner of a falling leaf up to 25 meters of the ground. It was motionless one moment, then, still without noise nor any luminous trail, it disappeared at sharp pace."

On the ground, traces of approximately 10 cm depth were found.

A shining ball.

Quillant. -- Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Saboureau, bar owner in Belestre (the Ariège), saw in the sky, a brilliant ball. The craft machine which moved rather slowly and without noise, was followed, he said, of a trail of gray smoke.

A strong whistling sound.

Montceau-les-Mines. -- Two bricklayers, Misters Romain Sebastiani and Buratte, both cyclists racing with the velocipedic union of Roanne, stated to have seen at the edge of the road of Blanzy, in Montceau, a machine taking off with a strong whistling sound. The craft, they said, was cigar-shaped, of very dark yellow color, of three meters in length and a diameter of approximately 60 to 85 cm.

Sailors report their sightings.

Brest. -- Mr. Arsène Stephan, second in command of a cargo ship which made a stopover in Brest, declared that during the night from September 23 to 24, whereas the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, at 44° 48' north and 4°50', he had seen a star four times larger than the others. Two of its sailors, who were at his sides also made the same observation. With the binocular, they noted that it was an object in which the green reflections appeared at times.

Last Thursday, at dayfall, a sailor who was conducting the tanker "Port Lyautey" saw, within less than 500 meters of him, a craft in the shape of a saucer and red in color skim the surface of water, to then go up fast and vertically, and to disappear while leaving a red flame.

An aerial blowtorch.

Caudry. -- Three workmen of St Hilaire les Cambrai claimed to have seen, this morning at 6, a strange luminous machine which trailed in its continuation a white gleam comparable with that of a blowtorch.

THE "SAUCERS" LEFT TRACES NEAR MEAUX

MELUN. -- Several roadmakers of the Bridges and Roads who worked in the rain along the Coulommiers-Meaux road, not far from the Quincy-Voisins airfield, said they had seen a flying saucer. One of them, Mr. Bernard Goujon, 30, said he saw in a field, to the left of the road, about 200 meters from him, at the foot of a poplar bush, a strange oval-shaped apparatus, measuring about three meters in diameter and a height of 2 m. 50. He was, he said, placed on the ground with three high crutches. Its upper part consisted of a small translucent dome, apparently made of plastic material. The whole thing was a shiny metal like aluminum.

Mr. Goujon said that he wanted to approach the machine, but arrived at about 150 meters, he was seized by tingling as if an invisible electric beam was darted at him. I felt, he said, paralyzed, and my vision blurred slightly.

I then saw the saucer rise very slowly, noiselessly like a "dead leaf", up to 25 meters from the ground. It froze for a moment, then still without noise and without any luminous trail, it disappeared at a brisk pace. On the ground, traces of about 10 centimeters have been found.

CAUDRY. -- Three workers of Saint-Hilaire-les-Cambrais said they saw, Saturday morning, at 6 o'clock, a strange luminous machine which dragged after it a white glow comparable to that of a blowtorch.

MONTCEAU-LES-MINES. -- Two mason workers, MM. Romain Sebastiani and Buratto, both cyclists at the Roanne Vélocipédique Union, said that they saw a machine taking off along the road from Blanzy to Montceau with a shrill whistling sound.

The apparatus had, they said, the shape of a very dark yellow cigar, of a length of three meters and a diameter of about 60 to 80 centimeters.

Saucers on the sea

BREST. -- Mr. Arsène Stéphan, second in command of a freighter ship who stopped over at Brest, said that during the night of September 23 to 24, while the boat was in the Bay of Biscay, he had seen a star four times larger than the others.

(See more on page 5)

Flying saucers...

(Continued from the first page)

Two of his sailors who were at his side also made the same observation. With the binoculars, they noticed that it was a disc in movement on which green reflections sometimes appeared.

Last Thursday, at dusk, a sailor who was at the helm of the tanker "Port-Lyautey" saw, within 500 meters of him, a saucer-shaped craft and of red color graze the surface of the water, then go up quickly vertically and disappear leaving a red flame.

A "MUSICAL TOP" IN THE SKY OF CAUDRY:

Friday, October 1, 1954, around 6.45 a.m. on the road from Quievry to Caudry Mr François R., 40, from St Hilaire was riding a moped and had just passed two of his comrades when, arrived a little before the small chapel and the DRON farm, he felt rain wet his face. Looking up he saw in the sky a kind of "musical spinning top", very luminous coral pink, appearing to be 2 meters long and dazzling white light like a blowtorch or an electric arc and as big as a clock face. The object followed approximately R.N. 39 from west to east, towards Le Cateau. A sketch made by this witness shows an oblong object of elliptical section. Mr Victor LEBON de Quiévy, 48, a mason worker, gives an identical description. The object he saw was a very bright garnet red followed by a light like a car headlight but much more powerful. His teammate Emile, who by bike preceded him by 5 minutes describes the object as having the shape and brightness of the sun 2/3 hidden with a garnet red color. He first thought of the sun before realizing it was impossible given the direction and speed. From "LA VOIX DU NORD"

10/2/1954 Cambrai issue
as well as of NORD MATIN)

10/1/1954 - SAINT HILAIRE LES CAMBRAI 59 type 4

A carpenter saw an elliptical coral pink object. Its major axis could be two meters and it drew behind it a dazzling white light. Two other witnesses confirmed this statement.

(GNEOVNI Archive)

3886: 1954/10/01 06:50 1 3:25:00 E 50:07:00 N 3333 WEU FRN NRD 6:7

nr CAUDRY,NORD,FR:TOP-SHAPED UFO FOLLOWS ROAD W>>E:BRITE LITE:2 SEP.OBS:

Ref# 30 FIGEUT[sic]&RUCHON: OVNI: Le 1er Dossier Page No. 106 : ROAD+RAILS